The Police Accountability Campaign hereby denounces the violent,
militaristic tactics and acts the Portland Police carried out against
demonstrators in downtown Portland, August 22, 2002.
After two years of extensive community dialogue about acceptable police
behavior, it was apparent that both the mayor and the chief have ignored
lessons learned from May Day 2000. Participants and the public found the
police once again exerted a highly militaristic style of policing. Having
witnessed Thursday‚s events, it appears that militaristic police behavior is
more a cause for violence at demonstrations than a useful tool for dealing
with it.
This kind of policing brings to mind an occupying army and is not healthy
for a democratic society. A militaristic approach to policing intimidates
people from expressing their rights. The militaristic mindset among police
management is not only a reflection of the profession being abused, but
exacerbates ongoing police abuse that occurs in Portland neighborhoods on a
daily basis by discouraging public outcry.
Our goal is for the police to be interactive and communicative with the
public and to focus on de-escalating situations of violence. We call on the
mayor and chief to come forward and set down clear guidelines˜not tactical
plans held secret by the Bureau. As in other cities, such as San Francisco,
the Portland Police should be public and forthcoming about their procedures.
The process of establishing police protocol at demonstrations must be open
and guided by the community.

The Police Accountability Campaign is a non-profit organization dedicated to
eliminating police misconduct through establishing open process, citizen
involvement, and community oversight.